Of Triangles and Hot Chocolate
by xXNoIdeaForAPenNameXx
Summary: A band of new young wizards and witches meet the HP gang. XD bad summary AND title . A random OC-centric fiction. Contains odd pairings as well as multiple slash and OC-pairings. AU, Slash, WIP,
1. Chapter 1

This is just a story that I've written just for the heck of it. Up until now, I haven't had any title for it, so I gave it a nonsensical title just so I could post it. It has a little bearing on the story, but not really any symbolism or key aspects in it. My friends seemed to enjoy the story, so I thought I'd post it here so it'd be easier to read. Note that this is mainly for the enjoyment of my friends, so don't go on about how horrible it or the pairings within are, because I know.

**Warning:**_ This story contains slash pairings, odd pairings, multiple OC pairings, and is based in an AU. I will assume that all those who review have read and are aware of these facts._

_**Disclaimer:** The contents of this story are not meant to infringe upon any rights or reservations held by the author or publisher of Harry Potter. No profit is reaped from the production of this story._

_--  
_

With that out of the way, enjoy if if you've read this far at least.

The day wasn't even halfway over, and yet it passed all too quickly to a certain Gryffindor. Neville Longbottom sat at his desk staring absently out the window. For months now, he's been trying to get over Harry and Draco, but the loss of both of his boyhood crushes scathed him deeply.

The strident ring of a bell erupted from seemingly nowhere, and with a sigh, Neville packed up his things and headed out to the halls with the rest of his class. He turned a corner and spotted what looked like a pile of books walking down the middle of the hallway. Neville would've suspected it to be Hermione carrying them if the legs were longer or if her hair was protruding from the sides, but the carrier looked too short to be Hermione. Neville couldn't see his/her face, but the carrier piqued his interest in the slightly disturbing way Luna usually did. As Neville was about to pass him/her by, a stray foot found its way under the book-carrier, and there was a veritable avalanche of books as both the stack and carrier toppled down to the ground.

Neville heard a muffled "Oof!" and a thud as the books fell on top of whoever was carrying them. He rushed over to help as the rest of the hallway stopped and laughed. He shot a glare up to Draco who emerged from the circle pointing down at them. Neville's glare didn't let up until he saw Harry come in and take him by the hand. He gaped as he saw Harry lace his fingers with Draco's and walk away.

Returning his attention to the person next to him, Neville asked, "Are you alright there?" As he (Neville could now tell he was a he) knelt and fumbled with his books, Neville watched him swish his hair out of the way, and was stunned by the breathtakingly gorgeous guy in front of him.

He had hair as dark and black as Harry's, but a little tamer. The bangs stopped just below his eyebrows, but the rest was cut so that it covered and curled around his ears in pieces. "Y-you know, you sh-shouldn't carry that many b-books around at once. It's really dangerous", Neville continued. He was desperately trying to hide a blush burning up his face.

"Thanks", the stranger answered. He averted his eyes as he stood up. "Oh, where are my manners? I'm Matt", he said with more confidence. For a moment he struggled to shift the books and then offered Neville a hand to shake.

"Woops!", Neville exclaimed as the top book slid off. He caught it mid-fall and placed it back on top of the stack. "There we go", he mumbled and smiled down at him. He was slouching, but Neville could tell that Matt was at least a few inches shorter than he was.

Matt's tanned cheeks flared up and he nodded his thanks. "Well, I'd better get a move on", he sighed. "Before I die under the strain of carrying these." He started trudging away and it took Neville a second to realize that he should probably help.

"Wait!", Neville called. Matt turned to face him, forcing many of the other students to scatter for fear of having the books topple over onto them. "D'you need any help carrying those books? I mean, I don't have any classes right now, and I'd feel like a bloody idiot if I let you fall down the staircases or something." Neville stopped as soon as he realized that he was ranting.

"Y'know, I wouldn't mind the help or the company, so if you really want to, I'd be happy to have you tag along", Matt joked. He had that sort of tone you'd expect to hear from a Weasley twin. Neville didn't mind it in the least, and was in fact turning a shade of bright pink.

--

It was a very quiet and awkward climb up to the library, but Neville was just glad that he had a healthy load of books to take his mind off of conversation. Matt, on the other hand, decided to break the ice when it came to a particularly quiet and awkward point.

"So… you're a seventh year, right?", he asked. The way he asked it made you think that he already knew, but was just asking for the sake of asking.

"Yeah. It's my last year here", Neville replied wistfully, missing Hogwarts already. "How 'bout you? I'm sure you couldn't be more than a third year." Neville was really trying to loosen up, but the joke was almost painfully out of character.

"Ahem", Matt coughed as he pretended to clear his throat. "I'll have you know, I'm a fifth year, thank you very much", he scoffed in a way that reminded you almost too much of Mrs. Pince, the librarian. Matt had his nose so high up in the air that he didn't notice a body standing in his path.

"Oof!", he said and for the second time in less than an hour, he dropped his books. He squinted and rubbed his bottom as he sat on the floor.

"Excuse me?", asked the body Matt just collided with. Before them stood a person so magnificent that she nearly blinded them with her glory (you can edit that out if you want). "Oh, hi Matt", she said nonchalantly as she helped him up. "What's up?"

"Apparently not me", Matt repliedsarcasticly as he took her hand and she hefted him up. While the two of them got the books, Neville stood there awkwardly. It seemed as though he knew less and less about the school, and he'd never even met these two before today.

"Oh, Kristina, this is Neville by the way", Matt threw to her absently as he kneeled to pick up _Hogwarts: A History_. The two of them continued the book retrieval until Kristina patted the last book on top of the stack.

"There we go", she sighed before turning to me. "I'm Kristina, if you didn't hear Matt say before. Nice to meet ya, Nev ", she introduced herself, beaming. Neville was a little disconcerted by the nickname, but decided to take it in stride.

"Ditto", he answered simply. He still had his hands full with the books, so he didn't even attempt to shake hands.

"Neville here offered to help me up the stairs, the gentleman", interrupted Matt, breaking into the conversation. Kristina's eyebrow raised at that, and you could just tell that that she was resisting the urge to go 'Ooo'. "But I'm sure Kris would be delighted to take them off your hands. The library's just over there and I wouldn't want to trouble you further."

"And who, exactly, told you that I would carry any of your books for you?" asked Kristina indignantly. She looked like she was about to get ticked off.

"Um… I just did, so maybe you can go ahead and take these…" Matt plunked the pile he had into her arms, and took Neville's. "There we go. Thanks, Neville. I probably would've broken my neck falling down the stairs with these books." He turned to Kristina. "C'mon!"

"Alright! Jeez!", she hissed under her breath and a stream of grumbles could be heard all the way to the library.

Neville followed them for a bit just to make sure they had everything under control, but stopped as soon as they were in sight of the library. They arrived just in time to see one of the rare times where Hermione actually left the library. She smiled at Neville and started approaching him.

"Thanks again, Neville!", Matt called as the two entered the library. Mrs. Pince looked about ready to slit his throat when she heard him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Neville as he blushed and waved. "So", she stated. "I see you've met Matt."

--

Well, that's that for now. Reviews are welcome, but please only _constructive_ criticism. Flames usually aren't nice.


	2. Chapter 2

I have a bunch of chapters stock-piled, so I have a little elbow room in terms of periodical posting. This chapter is a little suck-ish, but, again, if you don't like it, don't read it and all will be good in the universe.

--

Harry pulled Draco along like a disobedient child. "What was that back there? I thought we agreed you'd change your attitude around here, Draco", he snarled as soon as there was a closed door behind them. They stood in an empty classroom where nobody would see or hear them.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco snarled back. "I didn't do anything!" There was a measure of loud silence as the two glared at one another.

"What do you mean you didn't do anything? Yeah, you didn't do anything except trip that guy in the hallway. Haha, very funny, Draco." Harry's dry, sarcastic laugh was what got to Draco the most.

"First of all, I didn't trip anyone, and secondly, I apologize if I'm not allowed to laugh at something funny. If I was in the same position I'd have to admit it was." Draco was really getting flared up now.

"Like hell you didn't trip him, I saw you were the first one in there to laugh at his face. I thought you changed, but apparently I was mistaken", Harry growled. It was a low threatening growl as his anger receded to a simmer that was sure to last for a good while.

"You'd better watch what you say to me, Potter", Draco spat. It was reminiscent of their former rivalry, and it ended on the same dissatisfying note as Harry stomped out of the room.

--

Neville sat staring off absently, but this time, he had someone to look at. He watched Matt across the house table in the Great Hall chatting with Kristina and someone else. It looked as though the two girls were really comfortable with him, and very… touchy.

"Hermione, why is it when I finally meet someone, he ends up getting snatched up by a pair of girls? I mean, he was even a Gryffindor this time, and still nothing." Neville sighed as he propped his head up with his elbows.

"Well, Neville", Hermione began a little distractedly, "I think you're just being a little dramatic. Nobody said anything about him yet, so we don't even know if he's with either of those girls." She peered over and saw Kristina rest her head on Matt's shoulder while he talked with the other. She decided to quickly change the direction of her comment. "Besides, he's a nice kid and all, but I'm sure there's someone else out there."

Neville took a big breath and sighed as Ron patted him on the back, causing him to choke on air.

"You okay there, Nev '?" Ron asked as he coughed up a lung. "Well, anyways, I figured since _someone_, refuses to explain why she won't go out with me," he tilted his head so far towards Hermione that he could be mistaken for Sir Nicholas, "I might as well… _broaden _my horizons." He made a hand motion that made it look like he was opening imaginary curtains in front of him.

"Ahem." Hermione cleared her throat and burst him out of his little bubble of imagination. "I'm proud of you for making such a mature, adult decision, but whom, Ronald, do you suppose would consider going out with you?" She had that very smug, know-it-all sort of grin that she wore when she knew she hit a sore spot.

"W-well, for your information, _I've _actually found someone." Hermione's face went from smug to suspicious in less than a second. "She's funny, and nice, and smart, and… she's kissing that guy over there!" Everyone turned to see the second girl with Matt give him a peck on the cheek. "I can't believe it", he said with a bewildered look on his face. He plunked down into the seat next to Neville, grabbed a turkey leg, and started demolishing it.

"When will you boys learn…", Hermione sighed. "Just because you see that people you like have close friends, doesn't mean that they're going out with someone. Neville, I can tell Kristina and Matt aren't going out, and I'm sure what's-her-name isn't with him either, Ronald." She paused for a second. "What is her name anyways?" Neville was curious too.

"Ayra. Her name's Ayra", was all Ron said before storming off to parts unknown.

"Jeez, what's his problem?" asked Harry who just sat where Ron's butt was moments ago.

"Hello, Harry", greeted Hermione with a smile. Harry on the other hand, wasn't paying attention to her as he glared at Malfoy who'd just passed by the Gryffindor table. The tension was thickened by the fact that he was accompanied by his old cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. All three of them scowled as the Gryffindors looked their way.

"H-Harry, what was that about?" asked Hermione. "I thought those three had broken up. Did something happen between you and Draco?"

"I don't want to talk about it", he growled. Hermione didn't want to send him off like Ron, so she kept her mouth shut on the subject. Everyone was silent as Harry continued to simmer.

"Okay! We broke up over some stupid fight!" he finally yelled. He was obviously expecting more interest in his love life. "We were passing in the halls and he tripped…" he looked around for a second and pointed at Matt. "that kid, so after he had all his laughs and fun, he got angry at me for telling him off about it."

"Hm… those three sure seem to have a knack for finding their way into our little group", she motioned to the trio as the two girls attempted to strangle Matt with a scarf. Neville laughed at that bit. "I'm not entirely sure I like it though" Hermione glanced at Ayra who just pulled out a weird shapeless hat and tried jamming it on Matt's head.

"Well, I don't see how that's such a bad thing" commented Neville as he smiled at their antics. He turned back to the others. "They seem to be nice enough."

"I… I suppose," said Hermione as she stared intensely into the bowl of chips in front of her. Just then, a rather scraggly, misshapen looking doll catapulted into it, showering that section of the table with crispy pieces of fried potato. Unfortunately, the doll seemed to have taken more than one tumble on the ground, so chunks of grass and dust flew off of it as well.

"BLOODY HELL!" screamed Harry as he pulled out his wand and backed away.

They looked around to see who their attacker was and everyone in the Great Hall stopped and stared.

Matt inched over to them, receiving glares of varying degrees from the group. Harry looked as though he was trying to bore a hole in his skull with the force of his stare, whereas Neville smiled kindly at him.

"Um… Sorry 'bout that", he pointed at the doll. "That was about to go somewhere most uncomfortable" He clutched his pants protectively. Grabbing the doll, he brushed off the bits of chips stuck to it as well as what seemed to be caked dirt and grass. After sweeping everything back into the chip bowl with his sleeve, Matt scurried away, followed by almost every set of eyes in the school.

"Okay…" murmured Hermione as they eased back into their seats. They weren't quite over what happened when Seamus barged in.

"Oi! What'd I miss?" He took a good look around the group and then stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth. Everyone who saw gagged in disgust.

"Hm… Good chips", he said and shrugged as he went for seconds.

--

I reserve the right to add or kill off any characters within my stories. Review if you'd like.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, I'm just getting a little trigger-happy with these posts, so I guess I'll stop here. Read more if it floats your boat, but yet again, flames aren't conducive to the well-being of a writer's creative juices.

--

"Hey, Hermione", began Neville as he trotted up to get in stride with her.

"No, Neville, I haven't heard if anyone's asked Matt to the Halloween Dance", she replied before he could even ask the question.

"B-but, how...", he stammered with a dumbfounded look on his face. She just raised an eyebrow and tilted her head towards Parvati and Padma. The two of them giggled like the schoolgirls they were as Neville gaped at them. "I knew I shouldn't've asked them", Neville muttered as he inwardly kicked himself.

"Don't worry, Neville. It's not as if it's private knowledge anymore", she laughed a bit and smiled warmly in reassurance. Feeling her supportive hand on his shoulder helped to ease Neville's mind. "Besides, you two are cute together." Her words suddenly faded as she scowled in the direction of Kristina and Ayra. The two were walking next to one another chatting about who knows what.

"Hello", greeted Neville kindly. He smiled and elbowed Hermione who was currently trying her hardest to flip Ayra with the force of her stare alone.

"Oh, what? Hi", she blurted dryly, rubbing her arm. She stopped in the middle of the corridor, hardly noticing that she was creating a veritable traffic jam. Many "oof's" and "ey!'s" later, the four of them were standing off to the side of the hallway, in front of a window.

Neville, surprisingly, started the conversation. "So do either of you guys know if-"

"No, he's not going with anyone yet, Nev", Kristina replied, rolling her eyes. Ayra smiled a little bit and could hardly hold in her laughter.

"Bloody hell, am I really that predictable?", he mumbled. Ayra could hardly keep herself from convulsing with laughter as she watched Neville with that bewildered look on his face.

"We can see right through you, Neville", Ayra giggled. You could tell that she was getting a real kick out of this.

Just then, Matt scurried past them while the crowd thinned. As he passed, he gave a nod to the group and a wink at Neville. If you weren't paying attention, you would've thought someone turned Neville's head into a tomato.

Kristina came behind him and gave him a firm shove. When he spun back around, she mouthed, "Go get him."

--

Matt was walking down the corridor and dropped a pen, forcing Neville to duck behind a corner. He couldn't count how many times Matt had come close to spotting him. It was a wonder he hadn't. Since he started spying on him, Neville sneezed on the dust from the old tapestries, tripped on nothing, walked through three ghosts, and the pièce de résistance, toppled over a suit of armor.

When Neville peered over the corner, Matt was already making his way down the hallway. Sprinting to catch up, Neville had to take the stairs two at a time just to find Matt being chatted up by... Crabbe?

Neville had to take a double take. As he watched Matt laugh at something Crabbe said, he could hardly believe his eyes. He leaned against the wall behind him. Staring at a pillar in disbelief, he mouthed "Crabbe" to himself as his brow furrowed.

A giggle rang from round the corner, and Neville caught Crabbe touching Matt's cheek while he leaned forward. Neville felt his cheeks heat up and he clutched the butt of his wand in his robe pockets. It was almost too much when Matt reached up to touch Crabbe's hand.

Neville was getting ready to stun Crabbe as he leaned farther forward, but Matt took care of the situation. He flicked Crabbe's nose and shook his finger in mock warning. From where Neville was, he could make out the sing-song voice Matt was using with Crabbe.

His stomach dropped as he realized that they were probably flirting. Matt started walking his way, and Neville was just about to sprint back down the corridor when he saw Crabbe grab Matt's arm. With a forceful tug, he pulled him back, and held his arms there.

"C'mon, love. Just a little one", Crabbe slurred as he held Matt there. Their voices lowered and Neville could only hear the garbled tones of distant chatter.

"I said, 'No', Vincent. What about that don't you understand?", Matt yelled. It came crystal clear now. He tried shoving him away, but Crabbe was _at least_ a head taller and much thicker, so it was a futile effort.

Realizing that his pushes were going nowhere, Matt spun around and elbowed Crabbe in the stomach. He didn't let go, but it loosened his grip enough for Matt to sort of flip him over his shoulder, except as soon as Crabbe's feet were off the ground, he just slid off the side of Matt's back.

Neville fought off a chuckle as he watched Crabbe lolling on the floor.

"I'm sorry, _Crabbe_", Matt put a strain on the name. "I tried playing nice, but it looks like it didn't work out." Matt scurried off with a frustrated look on his face.

It took Neville a while to realize that Matt was scurrying in his direction, but he didn't feel like sprinting down the hall again, so he just turned the corner and pretended he'd just arrived.

"Oh, Matt", he said in an impressively convincing tone considering it was Neville. "I've been looking all over for you."

"You can lose the act, Nev, I know you've been following me since you walked through Sir Nicholas." Neville really wasn't surprised, and it came as a bit of a relief that he wouldn't have to play a charade all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Peering over, he saw that Matt still had on that bewildered look, but his face brightened a bit when he looked at him.

"That was pretty impressive back there", said Neville. "I can't remember anyone ever flooring Crabbe."

"Impressive? That was bloody brilliant!" Ron trotted towards them, and the couple jumped at the sudden intrusion.

"Oh. Hi, Ron", Neville sighed a little disappointedly. Matt gave him a look, and Ron just shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyways, have either of you guys seen Ayra? I've been looking all over for her."

Matt was the first to respond. "I'd look for Kristina. They're always together, and you're more likely to spot the person destroying furniture than the person with them." Ron and Neville glanced over curiously, but Matt just gave them a look that said, "Don't ask".

"I'd probably check up in the dorms. We're headed up there, so I guess you can..." Matt trailed off as Ron bolted up the stairs, "... come with us. Or not."

When Neville saw Matt's shoulders slump, he had a powerful urge to put his arm around his shoulder. Every ounce of common sense he had told him not to, but he did it anyways and was rewarded with a brief smile as Matt rested his head on his shoulder. The sudden warmth and the hair tickling against his neck sent goosebumps down his arms.

"You okay, Neville?", asked Matt when he stiffened up. He took his head off of his shoulder, and Neville was left with a sudden chill at the loss of body heat.

"Y-yeah, perfectly alright", Neville responded awkwardly. He inwardly kicked himself after hearing the crack in his voice, but was relieved to see Matt just smile and keep walking.

--

Lately, the weather became steadily colder, so the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room was always lit. However, the chairs would still be frigid to the touch before you warmed them up a bit, so Matt was shivering while he curled up in a chair. He had his Gryffindor sweater wrapped around him, but it looked as if it wasn't doing much.

"Matt, what's wrong?", asked Neville. It was a pretty stupid question, but he was too shy to get directly to the point. "You look like Harry after he took a dunk in the lake." He chuckled a bit when he saw Matt's face crinkle in laughter, but it faded into shivers as soon as the moment slid by.

"N-n-nothing's wr-wrong, I just f-feel a little ch-chilly is all", Matt replied between sighs and shivers. His eyes glazed over as he gazed into the fire. Neville wished he could take a picture.

Banishing the thought, Neville offered, "Here, let me see." Neville cupped Matt's hands between his and it felt like he was holding ice cubes. "My God! Matt, you're freezing!" For a second, Neville debated about whether or not to run up and grab him an extra sweater, but seeing him bundled up like he was already, he decided against it. Instead, he inched himself closer to Matt, and pretended to adjust his sweater to close the distance. An awkward hand fumbled with Matt's, as Neville tried rubbing the cold out of it.

"Thanks", Matt mumbled as Neville started on his other hand. He watched as Neville's face creased with concentration. Matt's eyes traveled lower, and gazed at his shoulder, which stood there enticingly, urging Matt to rest his head on it. He'd done it earlier, but Neville seemed uncomfortable with it, and this situation was much more awkward. However, what made it even more awkward was that Matt could feel Neville's lips ghosting across his numb digits. Each delicate stroke sent shivers down his spine.

When Neville was satisfied, he sat back a bit and looked at Matt who's tremors had died down somewhat. The seat beneath him was lukewarm at most and his teeth still chattered now and then. "There. Better?", Neville asked as they sat side by side.

"Thanks, Neville", Matt replied, a little louder this time. They stared into the fire for some time, and sat as the silence thickened. Matt was the first to break it when he yawned and slowly placed his head on Neville's shoulder. Neville, who was shocked to say the least, tried to stop moving altogether, even breathing softer than usual.

A minute later, Matt lifted his head, shaking it. "I'm sorry, Neville, I shouldn't have done that. I won't let it happen again", he sighed as he started to put some distance between them.

"No!", Neville yelped, grabbing Matt's arm. He immediately regretted it, but there was no one else there to hear it. "I mean, no, it's alright, Matt. I don't mind at all really." He slid his hand down to Matt's wrist and let go. "I just didn't want to hurt your head, that's all. It's really... not a problem." His voice just trailed off as Matt rejoined him on the couch. This time, however, Matt's whole body was leaning in against his chest, and he felt his heart speed up as Matt rubbed up against him to get comfortable. Resigning himself to the position, Neville wrapped his arm around Matt's torso and held him close.

"So, Matt", Neville started. "Are you planning to go to the Halloween Dance?" He waited and watched as Matt opened his eyes.

"I dunno", was Matt's reply. "I haven't really thought of any costumes or anything, but I'm sure Kristina would help me out with that."

"Well, would you... I mean, that is, will you...", Neville stumbled over every word and inwardly cursed himself for not practicing it earlier when he had the time.

"Neville, are you asking me out?", Matt asked incredulously as he propped himself up against Neville's chest. The only thing Neville could manage was a weak nod. "I think that's incredibly sweet", Matt cooed as he nuzzled into Neville's neck. He picked his head back up and sat back to look at Neville. "You know, you're only the fourth person to ask me out, and only the second guy."

Neville looked dumbstruck. "O-only fourth?", he asked in what was almost a whisper. His hopes and dreams for that moment crashed and burned pitifully like an enchanted paper airplane. He could just imagine Professor McGonagall putting it out with a swish of her wand.

Matt nodded. "Yep. It's weird, y'know? I'll usually get asked out a couple times, and for some reason, Kristina gets roughly double that number every time. Ayra is usually somewhere between, but hers fluctuates." He looked down and made an adorably serious face. "There's probably an exact science to it, but I've yet to find it."

"So I guess that means there's no hope for me, then", Neville sighed as he shifted in his seat. He gazed at Matt almost wistfully as he fiddled with a stray lock of hair.

"No, Nev", he joked as the older boy just sat there. "Don't be so down on yourself. There's no way I'm going out with Parvati or Padma. As for Crabbe, I didn't exactly say no, but after what happened earlier, I'm not too sure he'd even go with me still."

"Crabbe!?", Neville squawked. "You're actually considering going with him?" He didn't mean to insult Matt's taste, but Crabbe was hardly the nicest or best looking guy that Matt could get.

"Yes, I'm still considering it", Matt pouted. "He's just like a big teddy bear when you get to know him."

Neville gulped and thought, "Sure, a large, violent teddy bear."

"Just like I'm considering going with you, Neville", Matt quipped. "However, at the moment, it's leaning in his favor seeing as you haven't actually asked me..."

Something in Neville told him to take a risk. He grabbed Matt and brought him down to the seat. Laying slightly on top of him, he asked, "Matt, will you go to the Halloween Dance with me?"

"Wow", giggled Matt. "That was alot quicker than I expected." For a second, he didn't answer the question. Instead, he just put on a very thoughtful look on. "Hm... well..." Neville's heart raced. He desperately tried to read Matt's face, but it was too hard to tell. "I'll think about it", he replied, beaming. Neville just laid there and Matt poked his nose.

Neville wasn't quite over the initial shock when someone cleared their throat behind them. "I see we're getting comfortable", Harry chuckled as the two scrambled off one another.

"I'll talk to you later, Neville", Matt said, blushing. He tip-toed up to give him a kiss on the cheek before scurrying up the stairs.

Neville stood there stammering and motioning towards Matt, but he was already up the stairs before he noticed anything. "W-wait, Matt?", he said a little late. With a heavy sigh, he turned to Harry. "Thanks, Harry. Thanks."

"Aww, Nev. I'm sorry. If I knew, I would've knocked or something", he replied, giving Neville a firm pat on the back. "So what was going on anyways?"

"I just asked him out to the Halloween Dance", Neville mumbled as he buried his face in his hands.

"Oh, sorry mate", he apologized. "I actually just got back from asking someone too, but apparently, I'm ninth on the waiting list."

As soon as Harry mentioned that, Neville's head shot up. "Don't tell me. You asked out Kristina."

Harry blinked and opened his mouth a couple times before he could answer. "H-how..."

"Long story", Neville answered and looked up at the stairwell Matt disappeared through mere minutes before.

"Oh...", Harry said as he got the hint. "Well, fortunately for me, she was quick to make up her mind, and I guess I'm going to the dance with Kristina."

Neville glared at him a moment, but returned to cupping his face with his hands. "Thanks, Harry. I hope things work out with you two", he sighed as he got up and ascended the staircase as well.

Harry called up to him just before Neville opened the door to the dormitory. "No problem! Always happy to help!"

--

Harry's so OOC that it pains me, but what can you do? I'll try and edit that out, so it's all good in the hood.


	4. Chapter 4

So I lack reviews, people XD. It's probably J.K. Rowling's fault because she created such an awesome novel and spawned countless little ficcies and plot bunnies for our wonderful authors to exploit.

Anyhoo, read and enjoy.

* * *

"You know, you could just take a picture. It'll last longer", Kristina sighed as she glanced over her shoulder. Harry had been at it for nearly an hour.

While she swished her hair back, he just sat there gazing at her, barely blinking at all. It was a little unnerving at first, but she just decided to let it go (insert hand motion). With Harry staring dreamily at her, Kristina was left to think about things. She'd said yes to Harry, but every now and then her mind would drift back to Draco.

One day in the dungeons, she'd seen him going into the Slytherin common room shirtless. By the time she pried her staring eyes from his hypnotic physique, a sizable amount of girls and a few scattered boys were gathered around, all gawking. From that moment on, she was hooked, but surprisingly, she hadn't mustered the courage to ask him out yet. Unfortunately, she'd waited too long and he was going to the Halloween Dance with Pansy Parkinson. A girl could dream though, couldn't she?

She glanced back at Harry who was still resting his head on his fist. She really liked Harry too, but it wasn't as physical as it was with Draco. Sure he was cute and all, but Draco's body just screamed to be touched. Kristina felt her self heat up thinking about it, so she turned her thoughts elsewhere.

* * *

Ayra had been enjoying a rather nice book until somebody blocked her light. When she looked up to see who it was, she was met with a rather goofy grin.

"Uh... Hello, Ron", she said, greeting the red-head. "Can I help you?" She was really trying to be polite, but it was a little difficult considering he had absolutely no regard for personal space. Tired of waiting for him to move, Ayra stood a little farther from Ron.

"Well, Ayra, you know", he started nonchalantly. "I was just wondering," he leaned against the chair and swished his hair, obviously thinking it made him look cool. "if you were going to the Halloween Dance."

"Well...um... yes, I am", she responded. Ron's behavior was suppressing her usually bubbly attitude.

"So, anyone ask you yet?", he tossed casually.

"Well, Lord Victory* did", she answered.

Ron choked on air. "L-Lord Victory?!", he shouted. "B-but he's a bloody loser!", he said considerably softer. Lord was a rather portly looking guy. He wasn't exactly fat, but it didn't look as though it would hurt to lose a pound or two. Most people scoffed at the name, and it wasn't a surprise why. His last name really was Victory, but his parents seemed to have a sick sense of humor when it came to naming their children; his sister was named Duchess and his brother Earl**.

Ron took Ayra by the hand and led her to the other side of the common room. From there, they could see Lord glancing shiftily in the corner. When he was confident nobody was looking (though Ayra and Ron were), he stuffed what seemed to be a piece of bread into his mouth and swallowed quickly.

"Need I say more?", Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"So that's why he never loses any weight...", Ayra murmured thoughtfully.

* * *

Matt and Neville were chatting in the hallway while they walked to their next class.

"So your parents aren't wizards?", asked Neville. It wasn't uncommon, but the fact that they'd grown up oblivious to all of the wizarding world always fascinated him.

"Yep. I'm the only wizard my family's ever had", replied Matt. "I don't really see much difference between muggles and wizards though."

"How'd they react when they found out?", Neville inquired. "It can't be as bad as when my parents thought I was a squib." He winced at the memory of his Uncle trying to scare the magic out of him.

Matt laughed as Neville continued to grimace. Meanwhile, their conversation didn't go unnoticed. The crowd parted as Crabbe plowed through the hallway.

When he stopped in front of the two, they snapped out of their conversation-induced stupor and peered up at him. It was clear that he wasn't happy, but didn't seem to be able to find the right words to express it. Instead, he glared as hard as he could at Neville while still managing to take pleading, side-long glances at Matt.

Neville immediately took a defensive position. "Y-yes, C-Crabbe?", he stammered. It was clear that he stood no chance of physically defending himself against Crabbe, but it was a brave gesture nonetheless; even more so considering it was Neville.

For a while, they just stood there staring at one another, Neville in front of Matt and practically the entire corridor watching their every move.

The tension was broken by a voice behind them. "Back off, Crabbe", said Harry, who fidgeted with his robes, and revealed a half-drawn wand. He stood next to Neville in front of Matt and gave them both reassuring glances.

Surprisingly enough, more backup arrived. For a second, Matt thought that the person in front of him was Hermione until he realized that the hair was much less frizzy. Rhiana stood with her feet firmly planted shoulder-width apart. It was a little surprising that she showed up when she did, but she probably saw everyone staring and wanted to get in on the action.

While the three of them stood in front of him, Matt could barely see what was happening, but by the way the hallway darkened, it seemed as though Crabbe had reinforcements too. He scurried around to the right wing of their little line, and saw that Harry had somehow managed to get to the middle.

On the other side of their little congregation, Draco had taken the center against him. "What's this now, Potter?", he spat. "Causing more trouble, as usual."

"I told Crabbe and now I'm telling you, Draco. Back off", there was a hint of finality in his voice, but Draco didn't seem to notice.

"Tell, me Potter, where's your little girlfriend?", he guffawed as Kristina emerged behind him. She looked down, like she was ashamed of something.

"Let her go, Malfoy!", Harry bellowed as he gritted his teeth and his breath hissed.

"Well, why don't we let her choose, Harry?", he mocked in a sing-song voice. He pushed her forward and she stumbled to the middle of the battlefield.

Matt watched on and nearly ran out to help, but the choice was taken out of his hands when Malfoy grabbed him by the collar and shoved him out with her.

"Ouch!", Matt yelped as he skid his elbow against the ground. He scrambled to his feet and warily faced his assailant.

"You too", he said, pointing a finger at Matt and glancing to Crabbe and Neville. Matt peered into Kristina's eyes and they faced their backs together as they met the sea of eyes pressing in on them from all sides.

"Better make up your minds quick now", Malfoy sneered. Next to him, Crabbe looked as if he was about to barf. The glare he had on Neville had died away a while ago, to be replaced by a similar shame as Kristina's.

Harry and Neville looked pleadingly at the two, but were curious themselves as to who they would choose.

With a final glance at one another, Kristina and Matt held their breath and started walking.

* * *

*Lord = God, Victory = Win. It's supposed to be a play on one of my friends named Godwin. It's an inside joke, but it's not going to play any major role in the storyline.

**I'm pretty sure it's illegal in Britain to name your children after titles of nobility, but I'll make an exception for those three.


End file.
